Musharraf's bank accounts to be frozen, property to be confiscated, rules special court

Court adjourns hearing of case till former president is arrested or surrenders

A special court hearing treason charges against former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday ordered authorities to freeze his bank accounts and confiscate his property.

A three-member bench of the special court headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel passed the orders over Musharraf’s continued absence before the court despite repeated notices.

The court also adjourned the hearing of the case until the former president is arrested or he surrenders. "According to law, the accused cannot be trialed in absentia," the judge said.

Pervez Musharraf's counsel said that his client is ailing and currently abroad for treatment.

In April 2014, the former army chief was formally charged with treason for imposing emergency and the Provisional Constitutional Order on November 3, 2007. But the trial met a roadblock when the special court’s three-judge bench on November 21, 2014, asked the federal government to treat ex-CJP Dogar, then prime minister Shaukat Aziz and then law minister Zahid Hamid as co-accused.

After the passage of one year, the Islamabad High Court set aside that order on the request of the three additional suspects. But on November 27, 2015, the special court again asked the Federal Investigation Agency to record the statements of all four men. Dogar again challenged the special court’s order before the IHC but his plea was dismissed on December 9, 2015.

Later, he moved the SC, wherein he got a ruling in his favour. The SC has observed that a fresh investigation into high treason by associating any person is the prerogative of the federal government, and not the special court or the IHC.



Meanwhile, Musharraf on February 25 went to the Supreme Court, seeking one-time permission to go abroad for medical treatment.

Musharraf, who is facing a number of cases including Abdul Rasheed Ghazi murder case, Benazir Bhutto murder case and judges detention case, — left for Dubai on March 18, hours after the interior ministry issued a notification to remove his name from the exit control list (ECL).

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.